Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, #1) in Bloggers Unite™

Sep 18, 2010 Ronyell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ronyell-s-epinions-reviews, read-in-2010, my-blog-reviews, historical-romance, lisa-kleypas, sexy-good-girl-heroine, british-hero-or-heroine, adult-book

When I started reading Teresa Medeiros’ romance novels, I started to really get into romance novels. I finally heard about another romance author and her name was Lisa Kleypas! “Mine Till Midnight” is the first book I have read from Lisa Kleypas and it is also the first book of the Hathaway family series. If you have not read a romance novel full of sexual tension, drama and mystery, “Mine Till Midnight” is definitely a romance novel that is worth checking out!

The Hathaway family (Leo, Amelia, W When I started reading Teresa Medeiros’ romance novels, I started to really get into romance novels. I finally heard about another romance author and her name was Lisa Kleypas! “Mine Till Midnight” is the first book I have read from Lisa Kleypas and it is also the first book of the Hathaway family series. If you have not read a romance novel full of sexual tension, drama and mystery, “Mine Till Midnight” is definitely a romance novel that is worth checking out!

The Hathaway family (Leo, Amelia, Winnifred, Poppy and Beatrix) all had a stroke of bad luck ever since their parents died, even living in an impoverished home in London. One day, however, the Hathaways inherited a rich estate in Hampshire and it seems that their lives would turn for the better…well, not exactly. The Hathaways are still unprepared for the high class life since Leo started drinking ever since his finance, Laura, had died and her sister, Winnifred is still weak from contracting the dreaded scarlet fever along with her brother Leo. However, while Amelia stays at Hampshire, she also meets a dashing half Gypsy man named Cam Rohan, who not only helps Amelia support her family, but also satisfies Amelia’s “sexual desires.” With Cam wanting freedom from the high class society and Amelia trying to become apart of the high class society, will the two lovers ever be together? Read this book to find out!

Oh my goodness! Lisa Kleypas is a true genius in writing this inspirational romance novel! Okay, let me first talk about the characters and their personalities that I really enjoyed! I just love how Lisa Kleypas created the characters to be likable and relatable as each character, mainly the Hathaways, have many issues corrupting their lives, but they are always able to overcome any obstacle that comes their way through courage and kindness among themselves. The characters I loved the most in this book are Amelia Hathaway and Cam Rohan, since this book is all about these two lovers! I loved Amelia Hathaway because she is such a strong and independent woman especially during the hardships that she and family had endured throughout this book. I loved the fact that Amelia was always willing to help out her family anyway she can even if society has looked down on her family’s “eccentric” nature and that is the aspect that I came to love about Amelia since it showed that Amelia really cares about her family and she is always putting her family first before her own needs. Another character that I just totally flipped for was Cam Rohan! Cam Rohan literally conveys the true meaning of a “handsome devil” as he is perceived as a handsome yet mischievous character. Not only did I like the handsome and mischievous side of Cam Rohan, but I also loved his caring and independent nature! Cam Rohan cares deeply for Amelia and he was willing to help her out in her disastrous situations no matter how many times that other people tried to put down his efforts to help the Hathaway family. What I really loved about Cam Rohan’s character is that he truly respects his Gypsy blood, even though society has shown prejudice towards his Gypsy blood and it shows that Cam is a truly independent person who never let prejudice towards his Gypsy blood discourages his spirit.

Now onto the juicy parts of the story!

For romance fans everywhere, there are plenty of love-making scenes between Amelia and Cam that would make your hair stand up on ends with a burning desire! The love-making scenes between Amelia and Cam are truly HOT and DELICIOUS and you would just die with passion in reading the juicy details that Lisa Kleypas puts into these scenes!

For people who are not fond of sex scenes, this book has many sex scenes that might offend some people who do not like reading any sex scenes in any book.

All in all, “Mine Till Midnight” not only has hot and sensual love scenes, but it also has a true depth about the importance of family that is uncommon in many romance novels. I will admit that I was a bit confused at the beginning when I first read this book, but that was probably because I have not read the Wallflower series yet, but this fact never bothered me and this book definitely got me into Lisa Kleypas’ works and I am definitely looking forward to reading more of the Hathaway series and Lisa Kleypas’ works in the future!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Blodeuedd Finland rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, audiobook

An oldie Kleypas, I could not say no to that. I have never read the Hathaway books and now was a good way to start with audio.

Amelia and her 4 siblings are "orphans", ok so she is 26 but her two youngest sisters are young. Her older brother is drinking himself to death for some reason, and he recently became a viscount too.

Flee to the countryside! I liked Amelia, she was such a mother hen. But she had too with one ill sister, and two younger ones running wild, and yes that brother of hers! But i ...more

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Sep 01, 2009 Bekah rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011-reads, read-own

Amelia Hathaway is the matriarch of the sometimes eccentric Hathaway clan. She’s the mother hen, the worry wart, the one they all depend on. But with a string of tragedies in their family and a not so lucky title inherited by her brother, Amelia may just have bitten off more than she can handle on her own. Good thing she’s run into a mysterious, delicious and handsome Gypsy who just refuses to let her go…

I am so happy to have FINALLY gotten to meet the Hathaways!! And yes, I adore them. I love t Amelia Hathaway is the matriarch of the sometimes eccentric Hathaway clan. She’s the mother hen, the worry wart, the one they all depend on. But with a string of tragedies in their family and a not so lucky title inherited by her brother, Amelia may just have bitten off more than she can handle on her own. Good thing she’s run into a mysterious, delicious and handsome Gypsy who just refuses to let her go…

I am so happy to have FINALLY gotten to meet the Hathaways!! And yes, I adore them. I love them and I can’t wait to read the rest of their stories. I think I just may be a bit sad when we finally say our goodbyes to each other, and they are only fictional characters! I blame this completely on Lisa Kleypas’ ability to write such beautiful characters and stories. I’m quite happily addicted!

Let’s talk about Cam. Cam is a bit of a mixed bag of a hero. He’s completely capable of being the big Alpha we often find so irresistible, but he’s more of a gentle beta hero, and just absolutely perfect for Amelia. I loved the way he could not resist Amelia, though he tried. I loved that he found his freedom in his love for her, and I loved that he was such a huge and calming force in her life. Things are not easy in the Hathaway household, but he took them and all of their problems on for the love of one little woman. He was steadfast, loyal and always always there for his romni and her family, how could you not fall in love with this man? He’s so dependable and constant. I give him a 8/10 on the Kleypas scale. You’ll love him!

The steam in this book is quite high as well. Cam’s attraction for Amelia at first was purely physical, but as he came to care and love her, it transformed into something much more complex and beautiful. With that beauty, the intensity and fervor of their lovemaking shined throughout the book. Amelia’s eagerness and willingness to be with Cam was refreshing and exciting to read at the same time. She was in her mid-twenties and more than mature enough to take him on. It was quite a yummy, titillating and steamy read. 8/10 on the Kleypas Steam Scale!!

The romance (((SIGH))) This book is completely sigh worthy and utterly romantic. I think it’s so romantic when we get to read a book where it’s the man who is fully confident in the relationship, knows without a doubt he wants and loves this woman and must have her at all costs. It’s a nice change in the dynamic, instead of the woman essentially waiting on the man to discover that all along it was her…we have the woman coming to the final conclusion that yes, this man I can trust with my life, my family’s lives and he’s more than worthy of me and I am worthy of him. It’s a romantic read. The detail to their love and their caring for each other is where the heart goes pitter patter. 8/10 on the Romance/Sigh Scale.

Finally, I know this is Cam and Amelia’s story, but oh.my.god. I can NOT WAIT for Leo’s story. I ached and cried for that man. A man who loves that strongly and that fiercely DESERVES a happily ever after and I cannot wait to read it!

Find my reviews at page 317.

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Feb 19, 2023 Julianna rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, read-2023

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Mine Till Midnight is the first book in Lisa Kleypas’s Hathaways series, which is a spin-off of her Wallflowers series. Cam was first introduced in that series as the half-Romany/half-Irish manager of Jenner’s who has been friends with Evie since childhood. Amelia is the eldest Hathaway daughter who has placed the responsibility on herself of keeping her family intact. She and Cam meet when she goes in search of her errant older brother, Leo, who only recently inherited a Reviewed for THC Reviews
Mine Till Midnight is the first book in Lisa Kleypas’s Hathaways series, which is a spin-off of her Wallflowers series. Cam was first introduced in that series as the half-Romany/half-Irish manager of Jenner’s who has been friends with Evie since childhood. Amelia is the eldest Hathaway daughter who has placed the responsibility on herself of keeping her family intact. She and Cam meet when she goes in search of her errant older brother, Leo, who only recently inherited a title from a distant relative and who has been engaging in drunken debauchery. Cam helps Amelia locate Leo and then steals a kiss, but neither thinks they’ll likely see each other again. Fate has other plans in store, though, when the Hathaways move into Ramsay House, their decrepit new estate, which happens to be nextdoor to Stony Cross Manor, Lord Westcliff’s (It Happened One Autumn) estate. Cam happens to be visiting Westcliff, so he and Amelia rekindle their attraction, sharing many more passionate kisses. After Ramsay House catches fire, Lillian extends an invitation for the whole family to temporarily move into Stony Cross Manor, which only places Cam and Amelia in even closer proximity. However, despite passion flaring between them, free-spirited Cam has been thinking of returning to his Romany tribe, while Amelia is a little too much of a control freak to allow a man to take away her independence. They’ll have a lot to work out in order to make a lifetime commitment to one another, but when things with her family take a drastic turn for the worse, Amelia may just find that it’s nice having a strong shoulder to lean on.

Cam started working at Ivo Jenner’s club when he was just a lad and he and Evie became like brother and sister. When her husband, St. Vincent, took over the club, he kept Cam on as manager, and Cam has become known for being excellent with numbers and keeping the peace. St. Vincent pays Cam well for his expertise, but since Cam’s Romany side disdains personal wealth, he’s tried to get rid of it with no luck. In fact, he’s said to have a good luck curse, because even when he throws his money at what appears to be bad investments, they always pay off, leaving him a very wealthy man. Despite that, he lives simply and a part of him longs to go in search of his tribe and perhaps return to that nomadic life. Cam has never had a problem with attracting female companionship, but lately he’s been bored with all the women around him. Then Amelia comes to Jenner’s looking for her errant brother. She draws him in a way that no woman ever has and he can’t resist helping her, then stealing a kiss. He figures he’ll probably never see her again, but when she shows up at Stony Cross Manor, while he’s there visiting, he can’t resist pursuing her. Soon he discovers that Amelia is a woman who’s worth setting aside his wanderlust and putting down roots for, but she’ll be a little harder to convince that they could have future together. There were a couple of times that Cam was perhaps just a tad too pushy for my taste, but overall, he was a good hero. I love how casual he is, always in his shirtsleeves and never wearing a cravat, but he’s earned the respect of the Wallflower characters who support him despite his Romany heritage. That’s not to say that he doesn’t face some discrimination from others, but he handles it well. I think what I liked most about him, though, is how he becomes someone Amelia can lean on for support and he doesn’t hesitate to take on her crazy family with all their problems. He’s also very patient in waiting for Amelia to change her mind and let him into her life for good.

Amelia and her siblings lost their parents, and her older brother, Leo, only just recently gained a title that is considered cursed since three other distant relatives died in quick succession in order for him to inherit. Prior to that, the Hathaways were commoners, so suddenly becoming aristocrats is an adjustment. Added to that is Leo’s recent loss of the woman he loved, which has sent him into an emotional tailspin that he deals with by frequenting unsavory establishments and drinking himself into oblivion. It was during one of Leo’s episodes that Amelia met Cam while searching for her brother and was very impressed with the kiss Cam gave her. As the next oldest after Leo, Amelia is determined to hold her family together, but between Leo’s problems, one sister in frail health, and another who is a kleptomaniac, she has her hands full trying to do just that. Hoping to keep everyone out of trouble, she decides to move the family into Ramsay House, their new country estate, but it, too, is all but falling down around their ears and the title doesn’t come with enough income to make repairs. Amelia sets about trying to fix things up the best she can, but both that and keeping the family on the straight and narrow prove challenging. Then she runs into Cam again, and he provides a welcome distraction. However, even after things turn passionate between them, she’s reluctant to even consider marriage, because she’s become accustomed to her independence and doesn’t want a man suddenly dictating what she can and can’t do. But when Ramsay House catches fire and Leo once again goes missing, Cam proves to be a strong support for her, taking some of the burden from her shoulders, and tempting her to let him in even further. I could definitely relate to Amelia being the strong one who has to be in command, which has turned her into a bit of a control freak. I was maybe just a tiny bit disappointed that she even considered, for a minute, taking back her ex after the cruel way he’d dumped her, but at least, she came to her senses pretty quickly. I like that she gradually opened herself up to Cam and let him provide a much-needed support system for her and her family.

The Hathaways series is five books long, so each of the siblings get their own stories. I’m super-excited that the next oldest sister, Win, and Merripen, another Rom who was taken in as a child by the Hathaway parents and raised alongside them all like a brother, will become the hero and heroine of the next book, Seduce Me at Sunrise. Win’s health is frail from a recent bout with scarlet fever. Merripen looks out for all of them, but especially Win, since he’s been in love with her from afar for a long time. He doesn’t believe anything can come of it because of his heritage, but despite that, these two share a few tender moments while Merripen is recovering from a bad burn sustained during the fire that makes me very anxious for their story. As far as I can tell, second-youngest sister Poppy is probably the most stable of them all. She’ll be the heroine of the third book, Tempt Me at Twilight. The fourth book, Married by Morning, will be Leo’s. He’s in a pretty bad state in this book, mourning the loss of his betrothed, who he’d loved deeply. Occasionally he can be a bit of a jerk, but overall, I think his behavior was just his way of grieving or at least I hope so. I look forward to him finding love again. And last but not least, is the youngest, Beatrix, who has a compulsion to steal things that I think is partly a result of all the upheavals in her young life. By the end of this book, Cam is making strides toward turning her around. Her story will be the final book, Love in the Afternoon.

Overall, I enjoyed Mine Till Midnight and thought it was a solid start to the Hathaways series. I liked Cam and Amelia. With Cam being more free-spirited and Amelia being a bit of a control freak, they have an opposites attract vibe going on, but I still think they fit well together. He’s a much-needed calming influence on her, and isn’t at all scared away by all their family problems, both personal and financial. In fact, he manages to step in and take charge as needed without trampling on Amelia’s toes. I also enjoyed all the supporting players. It was great getting to know the rest of the Hathaway family and I look forward to each of their stories. It was also wonderful to see some of the Wallflower characters and get an update on their lives. All that said, though, when I compared the book against some of my Lisa Kleypas favorites, I found it a bit lacking. This is one of those rare occasions, though, where I’m not entirely sure why. There was a touch of gothic paranormal that one doesn’t typically see in a historical romance that gave it a little different feel that I’m perhaps not entirely sure fit. Or maybe it’s because there wasn’t a great deal of conflict to resolve. Cam puts his wanderlust aside pretty easily and then it’s just a matter of him convincing Amelia that they’re meant for each other and he won’t try to stifle her too much. There is a touch of trouble from her ex, but I wasn’t completely satisfied with how that all wrapped up without much of a comeuppance for him. I don’t know if we’ll see more of him or not to resolve the matter more thoroughly. Then there is a touch of intrigue surrounding both Cam and Merripen that I’m guessing will carry over to at least the next book, which is fine by me, because it gives me something to eagerly anticipate. So all in all, it was a good book, not a perfect one for me, but one that has whetted my appetite for more Hathaways (and Wallflowers, too, hopefully:-)). ...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Lisarenee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, books-i-own

I really liked this book and will probably have to read all the author's other books. There was so much going on I didn't get board. ...more

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Feb 14, 2008 Sheila rated it it was amazing

Lisa Kleypas books are beautiful. Well written, well researched and original storylines.
Mine Till Midnight brings two interesting worlds together. That of a silly young English lady and one of a dark and brooding gypsy.
This historical romance was such a pleasure to read!

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